SENATE RESOLUTION 32

(By Senators Weld, Stollings, Lindsay, Rucker, and Caputo)

[Introduced February 21, 2022]

Designating February 22, 2022, as Domestic Violence Awareness Day in West Virginia.

Whereas, All people have a right to be safe in their home, school, workplace, college campus, and community; and

Whereas, On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, which in one year equates to more than 10 million women and men; and

Whereas, During the fiscal year 2019-2020, 12,928 individuals were served by one or more of the 14 licensed domestic violence programs in West Virginia, nine of which also provide rape crisis services; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Child Advocacy Network reports 4,600 children were served at a child advocacy center as a new client indicating a 4.5 percent increase over fiscal year 2019-2020; and

Whereas, Last year 14 licensed domestic violence programs provided 24/7 crisis intervention services in 55 counties including 55,614 shelter nights, 117,127 service hours and 12,080 volunteer hours; and

Whereas, The lifetime economic burden of intimate partner violence among US adults is $103,767 lifetime cost per female victim and $23,414 lifetime cost per male victim; and

Whereas, Domestic, sexual violence, and child abuse can be deterred, prevented, and reduced through a large network of private, public, and nonprofit entities working together as coalitions to provide social, legal, medical, educational, and protective services for victims of domestic, sexual violence, and child abuse; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence has been working for 40 years to provide safe space, quality services, and systemic change to give individuals, children, and families options for building lives free from violence; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby designates February 22, 2022, as Domestic Violence Awareness Day in West Virginia and commits itself to treating this problem with the seriousness that it deserves and working to achieve solutions that deter, prevent, and reduce domestic violence; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network.